Paved in Briars
by Jack E. Peace
Summary: (13 Going on 30) Matt comes over to see if Jenna's returned to her old self after the Poise party and they find themselves relieving the 80's through "Jeopardy" and, in turn, rehashing memories only Matt remembers.


Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me. _Jeopardy, Full House _and all the pop culture references don't belong to me either.__

A/N: So, this is my first _13 Going on 30 _story, and I love this movie so I thought I'd write on. This story is also for my best friend, who loves this movie and J-Gar (get the flow now!) Also, I know that _Jeopardy _started in 1984, but I'm taking a little artistic license with that fact. This story is set after the "Thriller" scene. So, please read and review. And Lucie: the wolves are absolute balderdash when they try and steal the trusty ice pick when they're aren't any outlets for elect-tronics.

When Jenna Rink woke the following day, there was a sour taste in her mouth and a pounding in her head that wouldn't let her forget the events of the night before. She groaned and rolled over, burying her face against the relative softness of her pillow, attempting to shut out the light that had managed to slip past the curtains covering her windows and drift back into dreamland. But, with a drilling headache (damn those Pina Coladas!) and the grainy sunlight nudging its way into her bedroom, that didn't seem like it was going to be an option.

With another groan, Jenna rolled over and off the edge of the bed, thudding to the floor with enough force to leave her butt aching. It seemed that it was going to take a while to get used to just where the bed ended. Untangling herself from the covers, Jenna stood up and yawned, stretching her arms over her head and touching her backside gingerly. Hopefully, it wasn't going to bruise; she had too many super cute, super short skirts to wear to have a bruise.

Feeling the old thrill of having the weekend before her, Jenna headed out of her bedroom and into the living room of her new apartment. The party held by _Poise _the night before had been such a success after she had re-introduced some fabulous 80's dance moves that her boss, Richard, had assured her that, even if the following day hadn't been Saturday, she was free to take the day off. Jenna smiled to herself; her first day on the job and she was already getting free time.

Adjusting to the sudden jump through time and the idea that she had been living a life she didn't remember was still somewhat baffling and Jenna figured it was much easier to think of things in terms of The First Day. At least, in her head.

Flopping down on her couch, Jenna fished the remote for her flat-screen television out from beneath the cushions and started her daily ritual of channel surfing. There were so many more channels now and she was planning on using her day off to explore all of them. Afterward, maybe she'd do a little shopping and catch up with Matt. She smiled at the thought of seeing her old friend again; she just wished that Matt would be more open with her, talk to her the way they used to. What had changed between them?

The first channels Jenna came to were boring, news channels about a war in Iraq and some murder trail. It was too depressing for her and she changed the station quickly; what had happened to the cheery shows that used to be on television, like _Full House _or _The Cosby Show_?

More channels flicked through, unmemorable in her mind and Jenna yawned again, constantly hitting the _channel up _button. She finally stopped her quest for the perfect show when she stumbled upon the cable channel, ABC Family, which was currently showing re-runs of _Full House_, which had been her favorite show. She watched the television screen, enchanted to see the show she had started watching months before she skipped ahead. Jenna wondered what happened in that show, it was going along so well.

Jenna was watching little Michelle Tanner pester her uncle Jessie and some pregnant she had never seen before into wishing her a happy birthday when someone knocked on the door to her apartment. Grudgingly looking away from the screen, perplexed as to who this new woman was, Jenna slipped off her couch, dropping the remote on the floor and slowly walked toward the door. She was a bit hesitant to see who was on the other side, it could be the naked man.

Another knock, louder and more persistent this time and Jenna stopped in front of the door; it didn't sound like a pleasant knocking. Her mom had told her never to answer the door for strangers and she twisted her hands together, undeceive.

When the caller in the hallway knocked again, Jenna slowly opened the door, making sure the safety chain was in place and peeked around the edge of the door, only her eyes visible to the person beyond. She grinned, relieved, to see that the knocker was only her best friend Matt Flamhaff.

"Matty!" Jenna cried happily, trying to throw the door open and welcome him in. The safety change caught, however, and the door slammed back into place, causing Matt to disappear from her view. "Matty! Hang on!" She shouted, suddenly feeling distraught.

It took Jenna nearly five minutes to slip the chain out from the lock and open the door again; Matt was still waiting on the other side, patiently staring at the floor and he looked up when the door finally swung open. "Hey Jenna." He greeted with weary but friendly smile. "Can I come in?"

"Sure!" Jenna gushed happily, stepping aside to allow him entrance to her apartment. "How are you? What's going on?" She was so relieved to see her old friend, fearing that he might not make another appearance in her life after the day before. He didn't seem like the same old Matt. "I was just watching _Full House_." Jenna informed him, shutting the door and gesturing toward the living room. "You want some breakfast?"

Matt gave her a strange look. "Jenna, it's almost noon." He told her and Jenna shrugged, feeling in the mood for some CocoPuffs. "I came by to see how you were doing." He explained when they had retreated into the living room. "Make sure you were back to your old self."

Jenna smiled, touched by his visit and assured him that everything was fine, even though she didn't remember what had happened the past seventeen years of her life. She invited Matt to join her in watching the baffling episode of her favorite sitcom before heading back toward the couch. As she sat down, Jenna's foot landed on the television remote and switched channels, filing the screen with entertainment updates.

"Is that Michelle Tanner?" Jenna questioned when she saw Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen on the screen. She looked back at Matt, who nodded. "They're two of them? They're so grown up." The last time she had seen Michelle Tanner, she was still in diapers.

Matt nodded in agreement, more then amused by Jenna's wonder at seeing the Olsen twins, grown-up and legal. He joined her on the couch. "Yep, that's them."

The report on television was informing loyal views that Mary-Kate Olsen had just checked herself into rehab for anorexia. Jenna's eyes went wide and her attention returned back to her childhood friend. "Michelle Tanner has anorexia?!" She cried, looking utterly distraught at this news. "But she's just a little girl!"

"Not anymore." Matt told her, suggesting that she turn the station before she learn something else that upset her. Jenna did as he suggested, the entertainment station being exchanged for a game-show.

"Ooh, _Jeopardy_." Jenna grinned, the shock of learning Michelle Tanner had an eating disorder appearing to have passed. "Remember when we used to watch this show, Matty, and try and guess the right answers?"

Matt nodded, he did remember; he remembered sitting in Jenna's bedroom and betting each other Oreos when the final question came around. Often, neither of them won the cookies and so they split them up again, with Jenna always twisting hers in half and licking the icing off first. Instead of smiling at the memory, Matt forced it away, unwilling to rehash his once wonderful childhood; once Jenna abandoned him for brighter and better things, he became miserable. He hated to admit that, even years later, he still felt that way.

Jenna was oblivious to any of this inner turmoil, however, watching the television screen as the latest categories were revealed. When the camera pulled back to reveal both the host and the game board, she looked baffled for a moment. "Alex Trebieck got old." She observed. "He's got gray hair." Matt nodded off-handedly and Jenna looked over at him. "I really missed a lot, didn't I?"

"I wish you'd stop saying that, Jenna." Matt mumbled, trying to concrete on the contest who picked _The 90's _as his category. "You didn't miss anything, you've been around all this time."

Jenna sighed and looked at the television as well; she knew what Matt said was true but somehow it couldn't click in her mind. Michelle Tanner was grown and in rehab, Alex Trebieck was getting wrinkles and _Full House _was running in syndication. This _was _stuff she had missed, whether anyone believed her or not. In a way, it wasn't fair; her childhood had been stolen from her, she had missed growing up, missed her first kiss, even missed her own graduation. But she didn't expect Matt to understand the way these feelings churned inside of her. Best concentrate on _Jeopardy_, something that actually had an answer.

"What teen singer had her first hit with the song _...Baby One More Time_?" The host was asking to a perplexed group of contestants.

Matt shifted in his seat, answering the question before he even realized what he had done. "Britney Spears."

Jenna looked at him again. "Who?" She questioned.

Time ran up, Matt's answer was correct. "Britney Spears." He repeated with a shrug. "She's a girl that lip-synced to some catchy songs." Jenna looked just as perplexed as the contestants on the show. "I think your magazine did a few interviews with you."

Jenna shrugged. "Never heard of her." She remarked, giving her attention back to _Jeopardy_. Trebieck was asking, "This movie was a surprise hit, a so-called documentary about three students lost in the woods."

Matt answered again, at the same time one of the bookish female contestants did. "What is _The Blair Witch_." The money was awarded to her board.

"I've never heard of that movie." Jenna informed her friend, who offered her another careless shrug.

"I don't know what to tell you Jenna." Matt said. "I know you've seen it, everyone's seen it. The Blair Witch, a girl and two guys lost in the woods?" Jenna shook her head. He didn't say anything more, and Jenna could tell that he was getting frustrated so she decided to remain silent.

The category describing events she hadn't lived through came to an end and, much to Jenna's happiness, _The 80's _was the next category to be chosen. "I'm good at this stuff." She told Matt, who just nodded.

"This movie featured a girl who's family forgot her sixteenth birthday." The question on the television read.

"_Sixteen Candles_!" Jenna shouted, just as she had done when she was thirteen, getting over-excited when there was a question she knew the answer to. It was as though she forgot that she wasn't a contestant on the show.

The question went unanswered, something that seemed to frustrate Jenna. "I can't believe they didn't know that." She said to Matt, gesturing toward the television. "Remember when we went to see that in the theatre?" Matt nodded once. "Everyone saw that movie."

Matt shrugged. "It's not the 80's anymore, Jenna. People don't remember that stuff anymore."

Jenna sighed, unwilling to believe that no one remembered Molly Ringwald and her infamous line: "They fucking forgot my birthday." She and Matt used to dare each other for hours to see if either one of them could actually say the "f" word, erupting into giggles before it could be said.

Suddenly, Jenna could relate with poor Sam, because she felt as though a lot of people had forgotten her birthdays. Hell, _she _had forgotten several birthdays it seemed.

The next question also remained unanswered: which judge on _American Idol _sang the hit "Straight Up, Now Tell Me." Jenna didn't know what _American Idol _was, but she certainly knew the answer to that question, which she promptly shouted out. "Everyone knows Paula Abdul!" She cried, looking at Matt. "'Straight up now tell me do you really wanna love me forever? Oh, oh, oh.'" Jenna sang, horribly-off key.

Her singing managed to get a smile out of Matt, who chuckled softly to himself and shook his head. "Jenna, you haven't changed." He remarked before he caught him. That was true, she had changed, had he forgotten all those years she had ignored and tormented him just because her singing hadn't improved.

Jenna smiled as well, same old Jenna smile, and Matt had to look away, acting as though _Jeopardy _was the most exciting thing he'd ever seen.

The next question called was a Daily Double and the contest wagered all of her money. "The 80's group, composed of family members, El DeBarge had how many members?"

"Seven!" Jenna cried as though she were saving a man's life, her voice full of emotion.

The contestant, however, didn't have her conviction and lost all of her money. Jenna shook her head. "That's just depressing." She remarked, clicking off _Jeopardy _before the 80's could be further forgotten.

Matt stood up then, so suddenly that he almost startled Jenna and started toward the door. "I gotta go, Jenna, sorry." He said, almost as though he were retreating.

Jenna frowned, her brow knitting. "Why Matty?" She questioned, wondering what had suddenly sparked in his mind, causing him to want to be rid of her presence. "You should stay, we can have lunch and you can tell me about the 90's." She tried to smile, to convince him to stay, but she knew it was no use.

Matt glared at her, seeming upset. "Jenna, you lived through the 90's." He all but shouted. "You were in Times Square when the ball dropped, you were here for Y2K. I think you even have Britney Spears' CD, so I don't understand why you're acting this way." He snapped. "Why are you doing this?"

Jenna looked at him, wide-eyed, hurt and surprised; he had never shouted at her before and she had never seen him look so upset. At least, not when it came to her. A part of her wanted to start crying, to beg for forgiveness for whatever she had done that she didn't remember. She wanted to remember, she wanted to know what she had missed! It wasn't fair!

Matt seemed to sense her approaching tears, her sudden confusion and heartbreak and sighed, feeling like a total jerk. No matter what Jenna had done, she didn't deserve to be yelled at; he never wanted to hurt her, never in his entire life, even if that was all she had done to him. Seeing her like that, looking at him like he had just run over her cat, was something he couldn't bare. Matt looked away. "I'm sorry Jenna, I shouldn't have shouted." He apologized. "But I really do have to go."

Jenna swallowed and nodded. "Okay." She muttered weakly. "Bye Matty." She couldn't bring herself to start their usual good-bye ritual, for which Matt was thankful for. If she had dug up that old ritual looking the way she did right now, so fragile, he didn't think he could have handled it.

"Bye Jenna." Matt mumbled as he stepped out of the apartment, shutting the door behind him.

Jenna stared at the closed door for a while after Matt had left, sniffing until she had banished away all her unshed tears. She didn't like that Matt was mad at her for something she couldn't remember, couldn't help, didn't even like herself for what was going on. Why had this happened to her? Why couldn't she remember anything? It was as though there was giant black hole where her memory should be. A trip down memory lane paved with briars.

With a sigh, Jenna flopped down on the couch, staring at the ceiling and sighing deeply. She needed to take her mind off Matt and everything that had happened, off Matt, and she suddenly brightened at the prospect of shopping. Buying a few pairs of pants, several pairs of shoes and some tee-shirts to match always managed to cheer her up, make her forget whatever had driven her to her shopping spree in the first place.

If only a shopping spree would help her remember.


End file.
